The European Parliament has voted to formally invite former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden to provide official court testimony on NSA spying, in the face of overwhelming concern from conservative MEPs.

European conservatives seemed reluctant to pay full attention to
the possibility of the hearing on Wednesday. The European
People's Party (EPP), which is a conglomerate of center-right
parties, had displayed a great deal of concern over the
possibility of inviting Snowden for a hearing, suggesting that he
could potentially throw the transatlantic trade agreement with
the US into disarray.

Snowden could give his testimony via video link in early January
if he provides answers in time. On Thursday, it was decided that
questions would be assembled for the whistleblower and forwarded
to his lawyer. Approximately two questions from each political
group will be put to Snowden.

“Snowden is due to give pre-recorded answers to questions
posed by MEPs, with no opportunity for Members to challenge his
assertions or cross-examine him. His appearance before the
parliament's 'NSA inquiry' could be as early as next week,”
stated MEP James Holtum.

The move has incited criticism from those who claim an open
platform is being provided to someone who has “handed
terrorists an advantage,” according to conservative MEP
Timothy Kirkhope, the justice and home affairs spokesman for
European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

Labour MEP Claude Moraes commended the outcome of the vote,
assuring that questions would be both rigorous and fair.

Among questions which will be put to Snowden will be “why he
decided to reveal the information and the consequences and
implications of his actions; questions around his current
situation in Russia; questions around his opinion on the impact
of his revelations on security, the intelligence services, and
'the right to know’; questions around his opinions of where his
revelations and allegations take the area of mass surveillance in
the future,” Moraes told the Guardian.

Jan Philipp Albrecht, domestic and judicial spokesman for the
Greens in the European Parliament, hailed the fact that Snowden
could be consulted a “great success” for the European Parliament.

As the “central witness in the surveillance scandal…he is
prepared to give testimony in front of the European Parliament,”
he wrote in a blog post published last week.

‘We let technological capabilities dictate policies’

On Wednesday, Snowden received the top ‘Global Thinker’ award
from Foreign Policy magazine. In a statement made in absentee, he
apologized for having “a bit of passport trouble” which was
hindering his material presence.

“We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities
to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our
laws and values guide our technological capabilities,” he
cautioned.
“Today we stand at the crossroads of policy, where parliaments
and presidents on every continent are grappling with how to bring
meaningful oversight to the darkest corners of our national
security bureaucracies” he said, adding that, “the
stakes are high.”

Snowden’s revelations of vast domestic and international
surveillance and data collection by the US have been making
headlines since June. The NSA’s alleged spying on emails and
tapping of phones of world leaders has provoked scandals between
the US and a number of countries in Europe, Latin America, and
Asia. Snowden has been living in Russia since August, when he was
granted temporary asylum status.